Jonathan Kuminga went weeks without seeing the court, and the Warriors have clearly wanted to move him for months now.
The Golden State Warriors are finally moving on from Jonathan Kuminga.
The Warriors struck a deal to trade Kuminga to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Buddy Hield is also on the move to Atlanta, too. In return, the Warriors will receive Kristaps Porzingis.
This ends a saga that has been months in the making, and finally gives both Kuminga and the Warriors the fresh start that both sides clearly need.
Kuminga reportedly requested a trade as soon as he was eligible to be dealt back on Jan. 15. Five days later, he logged 21 minutes against the Toronto Raptors in his first action since December, posting 20 points, 5 boards and 2 assists in his return to play. He played nine minutes in the team's next game before suffering a knee injury, which has sidelined him since.
Kuminga reached a two-year, $48.5 million deal to return to the Warriors in late September after months of a contract dispute between the two sides that seemed like it was making no progress whatsoever. Kuminga reportedly chose that over a three-year deal in order to keep control of his future and set up the possibility for him to be traded ahead of the deadline, which has now happened. That deal also included a team option that was designed “to be ripped up and renegotiated” next summer.”
The Warriors first selected Kuminga with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft out of the G League, though he’s been incredibly inconsistent so far in the league. He averaged 15.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game last season in about 24 minutes off the bench, and there have been times where he’s fallen out of the Warriors’ rotation completely.
Kuminga started the first 12 games of the season for the Warriors this fall, but he’s been largely sidelined ever since. He went more than a month before even playing in a single game for Golden State, too, though that run finally ended the day after Jimmy Butler tore his ACL. Kuminga officially became trade eligible on Jan. 15, something the Warriors were clearly waiting for.
Now that he’s out of Golden State, Kuminga should have a chance to play more consistently — which should allow him to live up to the potential that came with being a lottery pick five years ago. The Warriors, who are fighting to hang onto a playoff spot in the Western Conference, can finally move on, too.
This post will be updated with more information shortly.
Category: General Sports
